Transcript The ABC’s of Kindergarten - Zeeland Christian School

The ABC’s of Kindergarten
Maestra Schrotenboer
Aa
Arrival/Dismissal: Upon arrival to school, students may drop
off backpacks in the classroom, then should go out to the
playground to play until the bell rings to come inside. The
bell rings at 8:40 a.m. and the tardy bell at 8:45 a.m. The
day ends at 3:30 p.m.
Absent: If your child is going to be absent from school,
please call the absentee line (616-741-0051) to inform
us. If your child will be arriving or leaving in the middle of
the day, you must sign in or out at the office and sign back in
if returning during the school day.
Bb
Birthdays: Birthdays are a special day for Kindergarteners. We
celebrate ½ birthdays for those with summer birthdays. I will
communicate via email before your child’s birthday with the day we
will celebrate. A tradition for my classroom is The Birthday Book
Club. To build a love of reading, the birthday child purchase a
Spanish book from Scholastic or a list of suggestions I have to add
to our classroom library. A special sticker with the child’s name
goes inside the book cover, and as part of the celebration, we read
the book together in class. Also, you may bring in a small treat for
snack time on that day. Both the book and treat are optional. Your
child will enjoy a few other traditions of being sung to, wearing a
birthday crown, and receiving a big birthday card. If the day
doesn’t work for you, I’ll be glad to switch it, Party invitations may
be handed out at school if all the girls/boys are invited.
Cc
Communication: Please feel free to call me or email with any
questions or concerns. You may reach me in my classroom by
calling the office at 616.772.2609 from 8:00 am until 4:30
pm on Tuesdays and Fridays and from 12:00 pm- 4:30 pm on
Wednesdays. You may also reach me by email at
[email protected] or on my cell phone 616.566.6466.
Remember that important information will be coming home in
the weekly newsletter!
Clothing: Keep it comfortable and washable.
Counting Snack: When your child is “Up in Lights” you are
asked to bring in a snack for the class to use for hands-on
math activities like counting and graphing.
Dd
Drop-off and pick-up: Your child’s safety is our priority, so
we appreciate your help in following drop-off and pick-up
procedures. If you drop your child off, we prefer that you
park and walk your child into school if possible. Parents may
pick up their children in the classroom. Students will be
released to older siblings who are picking them up after the
walker bell rings. If there is a change to how your child will
be getting home (being picked up instead of riding the bus,
ride home with a friend’s parent, etc…), please be sure to
send a note to school. ** If I do not have a note, I will
follow the original plan for transportation.
Email: My email is [email protected]. I check my email
for sure every morning, at the very end of the school day, in
the evenings, and on the weekend. If you need to be in
touch with me about plans changing during the day, you can
be assured I will be watching and I will do my best to
promptly email you a confirmation.
Ff
Folders: “Alerta Roja” folders must be brought to school each
day. Please check daily for papers and notes that come home. I will
check this folder each day for notes or communication from you.
If money is involved, put it in an envelope with your child’s name
and its purpose written. Your child will soon learn to empty this
folder and put the contents in the right spot.
Field Trips: You will be notified of these field trips in my weekly
bulletins. If you are a driver for a specific field trip, please know
that younger siblings should NOT plan on attending--their time will
come! In Kindergarten we venture out on four field trips that
connect with our current curriculum. In the fall, we travel to the
DeGraaf Nature Center. In the winter, we go to Flipside
Gymnastics. In the spring, we go to the Critter Barn and the
Holland Farmer’s Market.
Gg
Get ready to learn! In Kindergarten, we have many
different hands-on experiences to help your child learn and
grow. We often use centers or stations to work on oral
language development, social interaction, problem solving,
and creative expression. These centers include blocks, art,
puzzles, games, reading, writing, math activities, and more.
Hh
Hot Lunch: “Almuerzo de la casa”(home lunch) or “Almuerzo
de la escuela” (school lunch) is terminology. Children will be
taught a routine for choosing lunch A, B, or C. Menu is on
the ZCS website.
Handwriting-We use Handwriting Without Tears curriculum.
Please practice the correct strokes with your child.
Homework: Homework varies throughout the year. You will
receive information through the weekly newsletter regarding
homework. I’m not a huge fan of homework in Kindergarten.
I will send it to keep you in the loop, for reading practice
and pride, and because we are a halftime program.
Ii
Involvement: Be involved in the life of the school. I love
parents helping in our class and school - Story Readers in
Spanish, Moms in Touch, Lunch supervision, Parent School
Board, Centers helper, Photocopier, Materials preparer…
Illness: If your child is ill and won’t be coming to school,
make sure to call the school office to inform them (the
absent line phone number is 616-741-0051). Please be aware
that sending a sick child to school can spread illness quickly!
Jj, Kk
Jesus loves us! In our classroom, we focus on how Jesus
loves us and that we need to show love to others.
Kindness: We learn so much in Kindergarten, but one thing
that is constantly emphasized in my classroom is
kindness. We are to treat others kindly with our words and
our actions-The way Jesus would want us to treat others!
Ll
Literacy Stations: These stations work on skills related to
literacy and phonemic awareness. They are designed to make
learning fun through hands-on activities. They require the
children to work with a certain skill in many different
ways. Some examples of these stations might be the iPad
station, the library station, and the work work/letter
station.
Library Time: Friday from 1:30pm-1:45pm is library time.
Your child will be able to check out a book from the library
and is expected to bring it back the next week.
Mm
Memory Work: Throughout the year we will be learning
memory verses to go along with the Bible unit we are
studying. We will be working on these words primarily in the
classroom, but you may want to work on them at home as
well. We will use music and/or hand motions to help us learn
the verses. Watch the weekly news for the verses assigned
and the due dates!
Music is on Wednesday from 12:50PM – 1:20PM.
Nn, Oo
Newsletter: Every weekend I will be sending home a
newsletter outlining the week and what we will be learning. I
will also include important dates of upcoming events. The
ZCS Blue Note is emailed to families every Wednesday and
includes important school information.
Open Door: Please know that my door is always open. If you
would like to sit down at any time to talk or if you just have
a quick question, please do not hesitate to call or email me.
Pp, Qq
Physical Education: We have P.E. on Tuesdays from 8:50 am –
9:20 a.m.
Parent/Teacher Conferences: The tentative dates for
conferences are November 11 & 12, and again on March 3 & 4.
These are important times for teacher and parents to meet to
discuss your child. Please be watching the Blue Note and my
newsletter to alert you to sign-up times. You will need to sign
up using an on-line system.
Photos – I will use a classroom Facebook page to post photos.
Quick Bathroom Breaks: We have a bathroom in our classroom,
and sometimes children need to use it during our learning. I
allow children to use the bathroom, but tell them to make
sure it's quick so that they do not miss out on any
learning. Children are expected to be independent in toileting.
Rr, Ss
Report Cards: In Kindergarten, report cards are sent home
after each semester (January and June). You can check
your child’s report card through the Parent Portal, as report
cards are not printed and sent home. Please contact the
office to set up your account.
Snack Time: It’s important that children get a healthy
snack at our snack time. Please pack your child a snack daily.
Some ideas are cheese sticks, crackers and cheese,
applesauce, granola bar, yogurt, vegetables (carrots, celery,
cucumbers), fruit, etc... If you need more ideas, see the
preschool snack menu.
Ss and Tt
I do not TAKE children off their parents if they are clinging.
It is important for YOU to hand your child over to me and
briefly tell them that this is where you want them. (THEN-leave!) I will call you if tears last longer than a few minutes.
Tips for a successful year in Kindergarten: I look forward
to supporting your child as he/she makes the transition to
Kindergarten. Past parents have found that the following
suggestions have helped at home:
-Pack clothes and food the night before
-Make sure that your child gets plenty of sleep
-Check your child’s backpack when they get home
-Ask your child to tell you about their day
Uu, Vv
Understand that it is hard for your child to hear about all
the fun things he/she misses while he/she is at school.
Unique: I believe God created each of your children unique
and in His image. I do everything I can to foster those
unique talents in my classroom!
Up in Lights: During the year, we highlight each child for a
week. It is part of our Social Studies curriculum. A
thorough explanation is to come.
Very Important: Please make sure to send a note, email me,
or call me on my classroom phone if you have a change of
plans for transportation. If I do not receive a note, it can
be difficult for a kindergartner to remember for sure if his
or her parent is picking them up and so I will follow the
original transportation plan.
Ww
Check my website for memory verse songs, snack prayer
songs, website & app suggestions and more.
Writing Workshop: We use the Lucy Caulkins Writing
Workshop format in our kindergarten classes to teach
writing. Each child will have his or her own writing folder
and throughout the year we will learn and write together. It
is amazing what a kindergartner can tell you through writing!
Xx, Yy and Zz!
eXciting: I am so excited to be teaching your child this
year!
You: You are important to your child’s growth this year!
Zzzz! Be sure your child has adequate sleep Research would
say optimum learning occurs with 10-12 hours for 5 year
olds.
Zeeland Christian Website: www.zcs.org